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Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Visual Agnosia

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...

Parallel Processing

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

Top-down visual activity underlying VSTM and preparatory attention.

Mark G Stokes¹

¹Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom. mark.stokes@sjc.ox.ac.uk

Neuropsychologia

|February 15, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Top-down activity in the visual cortex supports both visual short-term memory (VSTM) and attention. While sharing neural substrates, their specific implementation varies with task demands, suggesting a common framework for higher visual functions.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Neurobiology
Visual Perception

Background:

Attention and visual short-term memory (VSTM) involve top-down neural activity in the visual cortex.
Persistent activity in visual cortex underlies memory maintenance.
Anticipatory visual activity is linked to preparatory attention.

Purpose of the Study:

To review similarities and differences in top-down visual activity for VSTM and attention.
To explore the common neural substrate for VSTM maintenance and preparatory attention.
To consider the applicability of this framework to other visual phenomena.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing evidence on top-down visual activity.
Comparative analysis of neural mechanisms in VSTM and attention.
Synthesis of findings to propose a common neurobiological framework.

Main Results:

Top-down visual activity is a common neural basis for both VSTM maintenance and preparatory attention.
Specific neural implementations differ based on task parameters.
Evidence suggests a shared neurobiological framework for these functions.

Conclusions:

Top-down visual activity provides a unified neural substrate for VSTM and attention.
Task-specific parameters modulate the precise neural implementation.
This framework may extend to visual imagery and awareness.